The present invention relates to a molded synthetic resin pad for an air bag apparatus arranged on an instrument panel or the like located within a steering wheel or in front of the passenger's seat of an automobile.
A conventional pad of the foregoing type for an air bag apparatus includes as essential components an upper wall portion for surrounding the periphery of an air bag, and a side wall portion extending downward from the periphery of the upper wall portion. The upper wall portion includes cover portions adapted to be opened upon breakage of a breakage portion at the time of expansion of the air bag.
An example of the breakage portion as mentioned above is disclosed in an official gazette of Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication No. 63-189956. According to the conventional device, the breakage portion usually includes two center line portions formed at the central part of an upper wall portion of a pad while extending in the leftward/rightward direction and two side line portions extending from the opposite ends of the center line portions at a right angle relative to the center line portions, as seen from above.
With the pad constructed in the above-described manner, two cover portions, with the central line portions of the prospective breakage portion defined by the left-hand and right-hand side line portions located therebetween, are opened at the time of expansion of an air bag.
Since the conventional pad is constructed in the above-described manner, when a considerably long distance exists between the side line portions of the breakage portion and the side wall portion below the lower surface of the pad, there is a possibility that a part of the pad located between the breakage portion and the side wall portion will scatter away in pieces as the cover portions are opened upon breakage of the breakage portion when the air bag is expanded.
The present invention has been made in consideration of the foregoing background and its object resides in providing a pad for an air bag apparatus which prevents the malfunction that a part of the pad located between a breakage portion and a side wall portion will scatter away in pieces when the air bag is expanded.